You know, it's the lofty place they have been since that beautiful friendship between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick started a dozen seasons ago. The only two times they missed the playoffs—including when Brady went down in Week 1 in 2008—they still finished in a tie for first place.

So losing Hernandez, along with Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd, should suddenly make them worry about losing their division domination? Please.

The Patriots' attempt to win their elusive fourth Super Bowl with Brady and Belichick is a different story. They still need to figure out how to get past last year's NFL champions (the Baltimore Ravens) and this year's AFC's favorites (the Denver Broncos) in the playoffs.

Miami, the latest second-place team in 2012 with a 7-9 record, has made some aggressive offseason moves to play catchup, but that team has considerable ground—five games in the standings worth—to make up.

One of those new Dolphins, former Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, told CBSSports.com that this could be the year the Patriots will be passed.

Then an NFC executive told NFL.com that teams are itching to play the Patriots early in the season. That would include their first two opponents in 2013: the Bills and Jets.

The Dolphins should be quite optimistic about the fact that their passing game will be better equipped to duel the Patriots, with the addition of wide receiver Mike Wallace and the continued growth of second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

That doesn't mean Tannehill and offensive-minded head coach Joe Philbin are ready to help their team jump Brady and Belichick's Patriots. Meanwhile, the Bills (Kevin Kolb, E.J. Manuel) and Jets (Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith) are weighing their veteran vs. rookie QB options. When you don't have one sure QB, you don't have any chance of winning anything in the NFL.

If you've been paying attention, the Dolphins, Bills and Jets have gone through a revolving door for more than a decade of trying to find someone who can sniff Brady's astral plane. Tannehill might be headed there, but that's asking for a sizeable leap in Year 2. Remember, there's once a time we thought Sanchez would be that guy.

No matter what adversity they face, the Patriots have proved as long as they have Brady, their enduring trait is adaptability. He's won rings with supporting casts that didn't have someone like Hernandez, Welker, or Lloyd. They will find more ways to adjust if they also need to start the season without banged-up Rob Gronkowski.

The acquisition of Danny Amendola softens the Welker blow, and the Patriots will piece together the wideout and tight end production to keep their offense humming. Part of that includes using the running backs more in the passing game.

And don’t forget about those running backs. If you haven't noticed, the Patriots are most dedicated to the ground game, and their offensive line is built strong to wear down opponents. Only the Seattle Seahawks rushed more than New England's 523 attempts last season.

"They ran the ball a lot and really well last year," an AFC scout says. "That's a real part of their identity again."

While Stevan Ridley carries the traditional load, his backup, Shane Vereen, is the guy to watch as the "next man up" to help replace Hernandez with his versatility to line up at wide receiver.

Defensively, the Patriots have been maligned for the passing yards they give up, but Belichick has rebuilt the front seven to be a run-stopping force, and there's potential for an improved pass rush.

As you will recall, before the Patriots were setting scoring records with Brady having an embarrassment of riches, they won with a power running game and a playmaking defense.

The AFC is weak, and teams with division-winning stability—see New England, Denver, Baltimore, the Houston Texans —have created some separation from the rest. That leaves Miami trying to catch up more to the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers in the short term.

Brady has been their tie that binds, and it doesn't matter what else is going on. The aftermath of the Hernandez situation is an unprecedented obstacle, but then again, Brady and Belichick have been working on an unprecedented run together as quarterback and coach.

As long as they're together, they will keep winning the AFC East, and will remain on the short list to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.